The present invention relates to a plug for assisting in controlling flow of materials through an opening in a portion of an article of manufacture. More particularly, the present invention relates to a plug for placement in an opening in a lower portion of a door of an automotive vehicle wherein the plug is configured to limit flow of air through the opening while still allowing flow (e.g., drainage) of moisture, particulate or both through the opening.
Plugs are generally designed to control the flow or movement of materials such as liquids, fluids or other materials through an opening. For certain applications, it may be desirable to allow flow of one material through an opening while limiting flow of another material through the opening. As an example, it may be desirable to allow accumulated moisture, particulate or both within an automotive vehicle door to drain out of an opening in a bottom portion of the door. However, it may also be desirable to limit flow of air through that opening when the vehicle is in motion such that undesirable noises (e.g., whistling or other noises) that may be caused by the flow of air are minimized or eradicated. Thus, there is a need for a plug that can limit the flow of one material through an opening while still allowing flow of a second material through the opening.
Additionally, the opening in the door or other article of manufacture may be located at or adjacent to a contoured surface of the door or article such that the plug may be required to adapt to the surface while still properly controlling flow through the opening. Thus, there is also a need for a plug that can adapt to contoured surfaces while still controlling flow of fluid or materials through the opening.
The present invention meets the above needs by providing a plug and a method of use therefore.
According to one aspect of the invention, there is provided a plug for controlling flow of materials through an opening in a portion of an article of manufacture. The plug includes a body portion for substantially overlaying the opening. The body portion includes at least one support member for contacting the portion of the article thereby maintaining space between the portion of the article and the body portion. The plug also includes a first fastening member connected to the body portion for maintaining the body portion in overlaying relation with the opening.
According to another aspect of the invention, there is provided a plug for an opening in a lower portion of a door of an automotive vehicle. The plug includes a body portion for substantially overlaying the opening to limit airflow through the opening. The body portion includes a central portion and at least one strip rotatably attached to the central portion. The body portion further includes at least one support member for contacting the lower portion of the door thereby maintaining space between the lower portion and the body portion for allowing moisture within the door to drain out of the opening in the lower portion. The support member is attached to the at least one strip. Furthermore, the plug includes a first and second fastening member connected to the body portion for maintaining the body portion in overlaying relation to the opening. The first and second fastening member are configured to extend through the opening for interferingly engaging the lower portion of the door.
According to yet another aspect of the invention, there is provided a method of using a plug within an opening in a lower portion of a door of an automotive vehicle. The method includes the steps of providing a body portion of the plug, the body portion including a first surface, a central portion, at least one strip rotatably attached to the central portion, and at least one support member attached to the at least one strip. The method further includes providing a first and second fastening member of the plug, the fastening members attached to the body portion of the plug. Moreover, the method includes extending the fastening members through the opening such that the body portion overlays the opening for limiting air flow through the opening and such that the support member contacts the lower portion of the door thereby maintaining space between the lower portion and the first surface to allow moisture within the door to drain out of the opening and such that the fastening members interferingly engage the lower portion of the door for maintaining the body portion in overlaying relation with the opening.